Freedom to Be Heard: Lawmakers bring field hearing tour on diversity to Nashville

Legislative Leaders Akbari, Camper inviting community voices to push back against conservative attacks on business and education initiatives

NASHVILLE — Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari and House Minority Leader Rep. Karen Camper will host their second summer legislative field hearing Thursday in Nashville to showcase the value of initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

In addition to Akbari and Camper, the legislative hearing on Thursday, July 18 at 5 p.m. at Fisk University Jubilee Hall will feature Sen. Heidi Campbell, Sen. Jeff Yarbro, Rep. Vincent Dixie and Rep. Harold Love.

Lawmakers have invited representatives from Middle Tennessee’s business, medical and education communities to testify about their experiences with diversity initiatives in the workplace. The discussion will focus on the impact and importance of inclusive policies at a time when the Republican-controlled Tennessee General Assembly and G.O.P. state attorney general are actively targeting these programs.

“This hearing is a critical opportunity for lawmakers to hear directly from community members and leaders in business, education, law and healthcare about the positive effects of inclusive policies in the workplace,” said Sen. Akbari. “It’s about understanding the real-world benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion and ensuring that all voices are heard in the policy-making process.”

In recent years, Tennessee’s Republican Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has threatened legal action against private businesses for hiring practices that promote diversity and threatened the American Bar Association for standards that encourage diversity in admissions and hiring. Republican lawmakers passed a law to root out affirmative action policies at state colleges, several “divisive concepts” laws targeting speech at K-12 public schools and colleges, and established a process to ban books in schools. Republicans have also proposed outright bans on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in government.

The free event is open to the public and will be livestreamed on YouTube.

Event: Freedom to Be Heard — Legislative Field Hearing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Work and in Education
Date: Thursday, July 18
Time: 5 p.m. — 8 p.m.
Location: Jubilee Hall at Fisk University, 17th Avenue North, Nashville, TN

The Nashville Freedom to Be Heard Field Hearing is part of a series of community meetings being organized by Leader Akbari and Leader Camper. In June, they hosted a field hearing in Memphis at the National Civil Rights Museum.

Details will be soon be announced for a third field hearing in East Tennessee.